DEL MAR — A festive Breeders’ Cup weekend at Del Mar took a tragic turn Saturday when Jayarebe, a 3-year-old French-bred colt, died suddenly after suffering an apparent heart attack following the $5 million Turf.

Jayarebe finished seventh in the field of 13 for the 1 ½-mile race, which was won by Rebel’s Romance.

The Breeders’ Cup confirmed the death in a statement:

“Jayarebe suffered what appears to have been a cardiac event on the gallop out. He was immediately attended to by a team of veterinary experts led by Dr. Brent Cassady, but unfortunately passed away. His jockey, Sean Levey, was uninjured.”

Trained by Irish native Brian Meehan, who won the Breeders’ Cup Turf in 2006 (Red Rocks) and 2010 (Dangerous Midge), Jayarebe was making his sixth start of the year and eighth of his career. He had won four times, including the Grade II Prix Dollar four weeks ago at Longchamp in his home country.

In a story published Friday on Irelandlive.com, Meehan said of Jayarebe: “He’s an adaptable type of horse and Sean knows him so well. … This (race) has been on Jayarebe’s radar since the spring and all his form is good, whether you look at the Dollar, the Hampton Court or the Feilden (his three most recent victories).

“The Breeders’ Cup is my favorite meeting and it’s wonderful to be back. To win a championship race on another continent is very special.”

Eleven racehorses died from sudden deaths in California in 2023, accounting for 13.4 percent of equine fatalities.

Earlier in 2023, a study was published from the University of Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine, which reviewed results of nearly 4.2 million race starts of 284,387 thoroughbreds at 144 racetracks during 2009-2021, according to EquiManagement magazine. The study reported sudden death is rare, occurring at a rate of one every 10,000 starts.

PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo issued a statement regarding the death:

“Another dead horse on the biggest racing day of the year and it must not be buried as a footnote in the results. PETA urges a full investigation into the death of Thoroughbred Jayarebe in the $5 million Breeder’s Cup Turf as well as the release of all veterinary records, treatments the horse had during international transport and quarantine, and the full necropsy report. He was just three years old—not even physically mature—and there should be no reason for a healthy young horse to drop dead.”

Local report

As Johannes accelerated to the lead late in the $2 million Mile, Debby and Joe McCloskey of Solana Beach thought they were seconds away from victory in their first Breeders’ Cup race.

“We certainly did,” Joe McCloskey said as his wife agreed. “We ran the race we wanted to run, for sure. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for us.”

Just as Johannes took the lead, More Than Looks ($15.80) swept past on the outside to grab the lead in the final strides and win by three-quarters of a length for jockey Jose Ortiz and trainer Cherie DeVaux.

“Oh, that’s painful,” jockey Umberto Rispoli said as he watched a replay of the finish.

Johannes had won four straight graded stakes races in Southern California, including the Eddie Read here in July.

“He ran awesome,” Rispoli said. “I’m choked up losing this. … Everybody was, ‘Is he that good? He’s only good in California.’ I told Debby a few months ago what type of horse he was. And he proved it today.”

Said Joe McCloskey: “That was a tough one. … But that’s horse racing. We’ll take the second and we’ll fight another day.”

The McCloskeys said they plan to race Johannes again in 2025 and hope to wind up in the winner’s circle on the same Saturday next year when the Breeders’ Cup returns to Del Mar.

California-based horses were shut out Saturday until the final two dirt races. In the $2 million Sprint, Straight No Chaser ($14.20) outfinished 28-1 longshot Bentornato to win by a half-length for jockey John Velazquez and trainer Dan Blacker. Straight No Chaser is owned by the MyRacehorse group, whose CEO, Michael Behrens, grew up near the racetrack and went to San Diego State.

And in the $1 million Dirt Mile, Full Serrano ($28.80), racing for the first time since his runner-up finish two months ago in the Pacific Classic, beat Post Time by a length and a half for trainer John Sadler and jockey Joel Rosario. Domestic Product, the seventh losing favorite in nine Cup races Saturday, was third.

Big upsets early

The first two Breeders’ Cup races of the day produced major upsets.

Soul of an Angel ($41.60), who trailed by more than a dozen lengths early in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint, rallied to edge Society and Pleasant to give trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and jockey Drayden Van Dyke their first Breeders’ Cup wins. The 5-year-old mare was making her 41st career start and picked up a Grade I win in just her fourth attempt.

About 45 minutes later came an even bigger shocker. Starlust ($69.80), sent off at 33-1, also rallied from last place to win a three-horse photo with Motorious and Ag Bullet in the $1 million Turf Sprint. Cogburn, the 4-5 favorite, opened a 2 ½-length lead after four of the five furlongs but faded to fifth.

“I used him a little early,” Ortiz said. “I was in between two horses and he didn’t break that well today. … I turned for home, I asked him to give me a good kick, but they went by me.”

Starlust, a 3-year-old British-bred colt, was ridden by Rossa Ryan for trainer Ralph Beckett, a jockey/trainer pair that combined to win the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe last month with Bluestocking.

English trainer Charlie Appleby was denied an unprecedented fourth straight win in the Mile as Notable Speech finished a close third. But Appleby did get a victory in the Breeders’ Cup for the fourth consecutive year when favored Rebel’s Romance ($5.80) held off a fast-charging Rousham Park to add the 2024 Turf title to the one he won in 2022.

The $2 million Filly & Mare Turf was the only other grass race not won by a European horse. Moira ($13.60), a Canadian-bred trained by Kevin Attard and ridden by Flavien Prat, defeated Appleby’s Cinderella’s Dream in the Filly & Mare Turf.

Other races

Odds-on choice Hope Road ($2.60) made it four straight wins, the last three at Del Mar, with a front-running victory in the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes. The 3-year-old Quality Road filly, ridden by Juan Hernandez for trainer Bob Baffert, is owned by her breeder, Cicero Farms, which is overseen by Barbara Ranck Perry of Rancho Santa Fe.

• Another 3-year-old filly, the Irish-bred Raqiya ($12.20), also led throughout to win the $300,000 Goldikova Stakes at a mile on the turf. Raqiya was ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Originally Published: November 2, 2024 at 3:02 PM PDT